Skiers find it difficult to transport skis and ski poles to and from the ski slopes which many times are a substantial distance from where their cars may be parked. The length and shape of the skis make them unwieldly to transport. At times skiers place the handle straps of each ski pole over opposite ends of the skis to form a carrier but have found that the skis slip out of position and cause inconvenience.
Various approaches to this problem of carrying skis and ski poles have been patented. They generally fall into the categories of a strap type device or a hard carrier type device. Typical of strap type devices are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,114,838 and 3,920,166 which involve forming a sling and carrying it over the shoulder. Such strap type devices are not very attractive and appear crude. Skiers are particularly sensitive to appearance of their clothes and equipment and prefer something with a more attractive and refined appearance. Also, shoulder strap type devices are inclined to slip off the shoulder and create annoyance when being used.
The hard carrier type device is represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,190,182; 3,935,977 and 4,059,209. These devices are formed of a hard or non-foldable material and generally do an acceptable job of carrying the skis and poles. However, when not in use, they must be stored some place because they cannot be carried on the person of the skier. The constructions shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,935,977 and 4,059,209 are formed to accommodate a particular ski size and will not secure skis of varying sizes in place with the same degree of retention even though the retaining pockets have resilient linings. These devices cannot be stored on the person of the user but must be locked to ski stands, stored in a locker, or returned to the user's vehicle. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,182 provides open top channels for holding the skis and poles in position and relies upon the resilience of the channel side walls to retain the skis. The entire circumference of the skis and poles is not contained within the holder and the skis and poles are more readily pulled out by accident than with a device which completely surrounds the circumference of the skis and poles.